Vehicle Control System for Providing User-Customized Functions Based on Gesture Recognition

Abstract

Methods and systems are presented for accepting inputs into a vehicle or other conveyance to control functions of the conveyance. A vehicle control system can receive gestures and other inputs. The vehicle control system can also obtain information about the user of the vehicle control system and information about the environment in which the conveyance is operating. Based on the input and the other information, the vehicle control system can modify or improve the performance or execution of user interface and functions of the conveyance. The changes make the user interfaces and/or functions user-friendly and intuitive.

I/We claim: 
     
         1 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A system for providing user-customized functions based on gesture recognition for a conveyance, said system comprising:
 at least one motion sensor;   a gesture recognition module;   a memory element;   a vehicle control system, including a processor, configured to:
 receive a gesture input from a user in a zone of the conveyance by the at least one motion sensor associated with the zone; 
 provide the gesture input to the gesture recognition module to retrieve a saved user profile associated with the identified user in the identified zone based on the gesture input by the at least one motion sensor associated with the zone; 
 provide at least one of the gesture input or at least a second gesture input to the gesture recognition module, wherein the inputted gesture maps to specific gestures associated with specific functions for the identified user stored in memory; 
 retrieve user characteristics in the user profile by the vehicle control system that relate to the gesture-inputted function request of the user, wherein the function is at least one of a user interface configuration including one or more displays for the user, ride comfort feature, or drive safety feature; and 
 send a control signal to any system or subsystem by the vehicle control system, changing an output of the at least one function, if the characteristics impacts the at least one function of the conveyance. 
   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the characteristics is at least one of an age of the user, eyesight of the user, physical state of the user, emotional state of the user, or driving experience of the user based on total logged hours. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein, if the age is under a predetermined benchmark, the user is prohibited for accessing a function of the conveyance. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein, if the age is under a predetermined benchmark, a user in a proximal zone is prohibited for accessing a function of the conveyance. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 22 , further comprising a second function also changed based on a second characteristic. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the characteristic of driving experience based on logged hours is under a predetermined benchmark, the function is changed by suggesting a change in route information, wherein the route is determined to be the route with at least one of a least traffic or least turns. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the characteristic of eye sight is under a predetermined benchmark, the change in function affected is in the user interface display presenting the text in larger font. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the characteristics of hearing is under a predetermined benchmark, the change in function affected is in the volume of at least one of an entertainment or user interface outputted by at least one speaker. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein at least one of the physical state or emotional state of the user affects a change in function associated with at least one of a temperature control, seating adjustment, or ride mode (stiff or relaxed suspension). 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 22 , further comprising a user predefining the specific gesture to be mapped to the specific function in memory for at least one of the gesture recognition module or vehicle control system to identify at least one of the user, user profiles, characteristics associated with the user profile, zone, requested functions, or characteristics associated with the requested functions from the identified user in the identified zone. 
     
     
         32 . A system for providing user-customized functions based on gesture recognition for a conveyance, said system comprising:
 at least one motion sensor;   a gesture recognition module;   a memory element;   a vehicle control system, including a processor, configured to:
 receive a gesture input from a user in a zone of the conveyance by the at least one motion sensor associated with the zone; 
 provide the gesture input to the gesture recognition module to retrieve a saved user profile associated with the identified user in the identified zone based on the gesture input by the at least one motion sensor associated with the zone; 
 provide at least one of the gesture input or at least a second gesture input to the gesture recognition module, wherein the inputted gesture maps to specific gestures associated with specific functions for the identified user stored in memory; 
 retrieve user characteristics in the user profile by the vehicle control system that relate to the gesture-inputted function request of the user, wherein the function is at least one of a user interface configuration including one or more displays for the user, ride comfort feature, or drive safety feature; and 
 send a control signal to any system or subsystem by the vehicle control system, changing an output of the at least one function, if the characteristics impacts the at least one function of the conveyance. 
   
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the characteristics is at least one of an age of the user, eyesight of the user, physical state of the user, emotional state of the user, or driving experience of the user based on total logged hours. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein, if the age is under a predetermined benchmark, the user is prohibited for accessing a function of the conveyance. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein, if the age is under a predetermined benchmark, a user in a proximal zone is prohibited for accessing a function of the conveyance. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 32 , further comprising a second function also changed based on a second characteristic. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the characteristic of driving experience based on logged hours is under a predetermined benchmark, the function is changed by suggesting a change in route information, wherein the route is determined to be the route with at least one of a least traffic or least turns. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the characteristic of eye sight is under a predetermined benchmark, the change in function affected is in the user interface display presenting the text in larger font. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the characteristics of hearing is under a predetermined benchmark, the change in function affected is in the volume of at least one of an entertainment or user interface outputted by at least one speaker. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein at least one of the physical state or emotional state of the user affects a change in function associated with at least one of a temperature control, seating adjustment, or ride mode (stiff or relaxed suspension). 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 32 , further comprising a user predefining the specific gesture to be mapped to the specific function in memory for at least one of the gesture recognition module or vehicle control system to identify at least one of the user, user profiles, characteristics associated with the user profile, zone, requested functions, or characteristics associated with the requested functions from the identified user in the identified zone. 
     
     
         42 . A method for providing user-customized functions based on gesture recognition for a conveyance, said method comprising the steps of:
 receiving a gesture input from a user in a zone of the conveyance by at least one motion sensor associated with the zone;   providing the gesture input to retrieve a saved user profile associated with the identified user in the identified zone based on the gesture input by the at least one motion sensor associated with the zone;   providing at least one of the gesture input or at least a second gesture, wherein the inputted gesture maps to specific gestures associated with specific functions for the identified user stored in a memory;   retrieving user characteristics in a user profile that relate to the gesture-inputted function request of the user, wherein the function is at least one of a user interface configuration including one or more displays for the user, ride comfort feature, or drive safety feature; and   sending a control signal to any system or subsystem, changing an output of the at least one function, if the characteristics impacts the at least one function of the conveyance.